Here in the Bunker, the Revolution was always a big fan of the Avengers when they were a team. This book looks like a return to the old school style Avengers. Let’s take a look and see how the McCann/Lopez team does with it.
Creative Team
Writer: Jim McCann
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
The story begins with a letter of evaluation of Bobbi “Mockingbird” Morse. Dr. Samson has cleared her for active duty but Bobbi is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. It is due to her being a captive of the Skrulls. Samson advises Captain America to keep an eye on her.
We cut to Mockingbird breaking into a hospital. She sets off the alarm in a patient’s room. While the doctors rush the patient to an examining room to make sure she is alright; Mockingbird steals a doctor’s lab coat and returns to the hallway.
Bobbi swipes another doctor’s I.D. badge and heads to a restricted area. When she tries the badge, it does not work. A hand reaches from a doorway and pulls her into a room. It is Clint “Hawkeye/Ronin” Barton, her ex-husband.
Flashback to a discussion between Clint and Captain America. Cap is helping Clint track down Bobbi. He warns Clint that Bobbi might not be the same woman he fell in love with.
Back in current time…Clint takes apart Bobbi’s cell phone and uses it to open the door. Inside, men in protective suits are packing up. Clint and Bobbi are questioned. Their cover is blown. It turns out that the hospital is a front for A.I.M. After a fight, they blow out the wall of the hospital. They escape to Bobbi’s hideout.
Bobbi explains that A.I.M. was producing a dirty bomb. The operation has been moved and she is going to track it down. Clint uses a “net” arrow to trap her against a wall. He calls Captain America to bring in the Avengers.
I like it when a writer uses a character like Doc Samson when they need a psychiatric evaluation. It is a little touch but it makes the most sense when you are dealing with superheroes.
Another thing the writer included that made this an above average story was the corruption in S.H.I.E.L.D. and how Bobbi learned what the Skrulls knew about our government. That the Skrulls knew that our government from the top down was already corrupt.
This is the perfect way of tying this series into the Secret Warriors series. It is safe to think this is because of the way HYDRA has been controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. over in Secret Warriors. When a major revelation is made in one series, it should be reflected in other storylines. The writers and editors are doing a great job of keeping the Marvel Universe connected.
The overall story was a good introduction to Mockingbird and Ronin. This gave Mockingbird a chance to show her background of being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Her time as a captive of the Skrulls is brought up at different times in the story but not everything is revealed. Beginning with the evaluation, the writer has planted the seeds of a mystery.
The art was solid but nothing spectacular. It tells the story without distracting the reader. It reminds me of a modern version of Sal Buscema. The story is cleanly told. The art does not interfere with the storytelling. A good, solid job.
Recommended. It is a good introduction to the series.